Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

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While the accountant was writing a letter, Solitary Wolf, or rather Wang Chen, was blending into the bustling crowd.

Two days earlier, he had cleared out a den of mountain bandits using a fishing tactic and had unearthed a mission clue.

The bandit leader, Black-Faced Asura, even tried to bluff his way through, but under Wang Chen's soul-searching technique, he spilled everything, including the details of peeking at a widow bathing in his youth.

Following the clues he obtained, Wang Chen found the Loose Cultivator, Solitary Wolf.

From Solitary Wolf, he forced out the method of contacting horse bandits, eventually leading him here.

The white tent they had just passed was a fencing spot set up by the Mysterious Intent Bandits in the Flowing Horse Gathering, where they sold their plundered goods and also bought supplies and cultivation materials.

Due to its importance, the accountant was a confidant of the Mysterious Intent Taoist.

Wang Chen had originally planned to capture him to squeeze information about the whereabouts of his mission target.

But upon careful consideration, he realized that the Mysterious Intent Taoist wouldn't have placed his man here without preventive measures in place.

It would be easy to take the man down, but if he accidentally alerted the enemy, then completing his mission within a short time frame would become difficult.

Thus, Wang Chen decided to draw the snake out of its hole.

He disguised himself as Solitary Wolf and used a Golden Core Cave Mansion as bait to lure out the Mysterious Intent Taoist.

To win the accountant's trust, Wang Chen conspicuously showed the Creation Cauldron.

It was a significant enticement.

The effect was very good; he could even see the greed flickering in the other's eyes.

The chances of the Mysterious Intent Taoist taking the bait were at least ninety percent!

The remaining ten percent relied on luck, for there's always a possibility of something unexpected occurring.

Wang Chen strolled leisurely through the marketplace.

His appearance was quite eccentric now, yet in the Flowing Horse Gathering, it hardly stood out at all.

The crowd here was diverse, with local herdsmen, foreign merchants, and all sorts of Loose Cultivators, many rugged and formidable men, with some looking even fiercer than Wang Chen.

Blending in, Wang Chen did not attract attention.

He made a complete round of the marketplace, even purchasing some local specialty items.

Items such as blue ox meat, mare's milk wine, and cheese, which were uniquely flavored and remarkably cheap.

A single Low Spirit Stone could buy a large quantity.

Wang Chen swept up several thousand pounds of goods into his Storage Bag. Since his main Storage Bag had ample capacity and was empty anyway, buying some food to take back wasn't a bad idea.

As darkness fell, piles of bonfires were built both inside and outside the marketplace, the blazing flames illuminating the surroundings as the herdsmen who were good at singing and dancing gathered around the fires for merriment.

Wang Chen took a seat in a tent resembling a tavern and ordered a barbecue platter and a jug of mare's milk wine.

He ate and drank while enjoying the song and dance performances.

That night, he stayed within the Flowing Horse Gathering.

The next day, at noon, Wang Chen received a Crane Message from the accountant.

He wasn't in a hurry and leisurely finished a lavish lunch before sauntering to the man's tent.

Seeing Wang Chen, the accountant, who had clearly been waiting anxiously, sighed with relief and spoke without delay, "My master has agreed to meet with you, follow me."

He then pulled out a Flying Artifact.

"Hold on!"

Wang Chen reached out to stop him, "I have no intention of meeting your master."

"What?"

The accountant's fat face instantly turned purple with rage, "Are you playing me?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Wang Chen said with a grin, "Your master is the Purple Mansion Superior, how could I dare to offend him?"

His words were laced with sarcasm, almost choking the accountant, "What do you want then?"

"Since your master has agreed to a meeting…"

Wang Chen said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "then I shall be the one to decide the location of our meeting."

The accountant took a deep breath, suppressing the fury boiling within him.

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His mind was very deep, but being led by the nose by Wang Chen like this really felt unbearably stifling.

However, the accountant couldn't afford to fall out with Wang Chen just now, or if he ruined this big deal, even selling off all his accumulated wealth wouldn't cover the loss.

With stifled irritation, he said, "I need to consult with my master!"

Wang Chen chuckled, "Then go ahead and consult."

The accountant asked, "Where?"

"Right here, at Flowing Horse Gathering!"

Wang Chen said in a heavy tone, "I'll repeat, don't play any tricks, or else..."

Or else what, Wang Chen did not say, but the accountant could clearly see his confidence and resolve!

The accountant silently took out a piece of talisman paper, quickly wrote a letter, and sent it off.

Wang Chen sat down leisurely and even poured himself a cup of tea.

After nearly half a two-hour period, a falcon message flew back.

The accountant read it upon receiving it and said, "My master has agreed, he will arrive after two hours."

"Very good."

Wang Chen nodded, "I'll see you then."

He then handed the other party a messenger crane, "I'll tell you the exact location when the person arrives."

At that moment, the accountant had not a trace of temper left, and he took the messenger crane with a nod.

But deep within his eyes, there lurked an indescribable ferocity.

Wang Chen left the white tent and went to the only real tavern in Flowing Horse Gathering, taking out a spirit stone to rent the top floor.

He sat and waited for the big fish to take the bait!

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As sunset approached, he received the crane message from the accountant.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Wang Chen replied to the message.

He sat by the window, gazing at the continuous flow of Lanqiang River not far away.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the river revered by the herdsmen as Mother glittered with countless flecks of golden scales, occasionally disrupted by the passing shadows of wild geese, creating a breathtaking scene.

"Solitary Wolf, brother, you seem to be in good spirits."

A deep voice suddenly reached Wang Chen's ears.

He turned around and saw three individuals appear at the stairwell, the leader being a middle-aged cultivator wearing a cyan Taoist robe with a gentle face and fair skin.

The cultivator wore a faint smile and greeted Wang Chen with a fist salute, "I am Mysterious Intent."

"You're Mysterious Intent?"

Wang Chen frowned and his expression suddenly darkened, "Get out! If you are Mysterious Intent, then I'm True Immortal Qingxu!"

True Immortal Qingxu was a Supreme Elder of West Sea Sect, whose fame had resounded throughout the West Sea Spirit Domain for hundreds of years and was also one of the Three Pure Ones of the West Sea.

Wang Chen, or rather, the Solitary Wolf he was impersonating, had never met Mysterious Intent in person, and the self-proclaimed Mysterious Intent middle-aged cultivator did indeed radiate the aura of a Purple Mansion cultivator.

However, Wang Chen could tell at a glance that the man was a fake.

He wasn't the Mysterious Intent Taoist, nor was he a Purple Mansion cultivator; he was most likely using some sort of magic artifact to pose as one!

The middle-aged cultivator's face stiffened, caught off guard, probably not expecting to be exposed the moment he appeared.

The surprised accountant interjected, "Solitary Wolf, have you perhaps misunderstood something? This man is..."

"Enough."

At this moment, a calm voice interrupted everyone's attention, "The two of you, step back."

"Yes."

The middle-aged cultivator and the accountant bowed in unison and retreated to the lower floor.

Only a man dressed as an attendant was left.

He gave Wang Chen a slight smile, "Solitary Wolf, brother, you have a sharp eye, indeed I am Mysterious Intent!"

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Here comes the second update.